Horror In The Streets

Tonight started out not quite like an ordinary night. The girls were exceptionally cranky and irritable, both of them having been exhaustingly tired. We had dinner early tonight, and while they were having dinner, I carried on like I would any regular night. I did my usual nightly call to my mom, pacing outside my front step while smoking a cigarette and drinking a cup of coffee to keep my wits about me. Meanwhile, as my mom and I are talking about this thing and that, a black car, chevy in make pulls up to a building just a little ahead of my own.

I thought nothing of it and continued talking to my mom, when a few minutes later, just as I was about done with my cigarette, the chevy reverses to in front of my building block. Noticing that she was a mom because there was a kid about 5-7 years old in the backseat, I shrugged and walked over when she beckoned me to her car. I figured she was new to the area and wanted directions or something. After all, I’m a parent and if I were driving around that late in an area unknown to me I’d ask for directions! Sadly, that was not the case.

Low and behold the woman asks, “Hey, do you do drugs?” The shocked expression on my face must have spoke volumes as I shook my head because she laughed then asked, “Well do you know where I could get some?” I again shook my head, absolutely flabbergasted that someone with a child in their car would be perusing the streets asking strangers they never met for drugs. I mean, who in their right mind goes around asking strangers for drugs to begin with? It was ten times worse the fact that she had a child in the backseat! I mean honestly, what kind of parent drags their child through all of heck and back, through neighborhoods they don’t know, asking people for freaking drugs?!

I am absolutely astounded and horrified. This person must have been fiending pretty gosh darn bad for their next fix to be going around asking complete strangers with their child in the car! As soon as she begins driving off in search of her oh so precious drugs with the worlds most precious gift in her back seat, I take a quick mental note of her license plate number. I told my mom, who I was still on the phone with during this exchange mind you, about what the woman had asked me and about the child in the backseat. After regaling her with my tail of horror, all the while being absolutely perplexed by this woman’s seemingly lack of concern for the fact she had a child in her backseat, I told my mother I felt I ought to call the police or something. Anything could happen, and drugs can make people do horrific things!

Well my mother concurred, I should do something. Calling the police was my only option, so I quickly hung up the phone and immediately dialed 911 (I didn’t know what number to call, my brain blanked except for the deeply imprinted ‘dial 911 in case of emergency’ my mom taught me) and told the dispatcher about what happened. After giving them the make and color, I confess I didn’t catch the model sadly but I had managed to impress the dispatcher by informing them of the direction the woman drove and the license plate number! According to her, I was the third citizen to report someone of the woman’s description and car, but was the only one who’d gotten her license plate number. Thankfully that gave them something to track down, and I hope with all my might that the poor child is somewhere safe.

Or at the very least that the poor kid will soon be safe. It galls me the things people do! I need to hush now as everything I am thinking is likely to get me into serious trouble should I state it! I am proud of you Shay for contacting the police and possibly saving that child from a life with an active junkie!